WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — With the Latino electorate expected to keep growing in the 2014 election and beyond, 50 national Latino groups are launching today an online voter registration campaign to prove the power of the Latino vote.

The campaign kick-off, coinciding with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, urges Latinos to register to vote and then take their families, neighbors, and friends to the ballot box on Elections Day, November 4. Only by exercising the power of their vote, can the Latino community influence real policy changes.

The campaign will launch a national “Hispanic Heritage Month of Action” and will have three main voter registration pushes: today (September 15), September 23 (National Voter Registration Day), and October 15 (the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month). The initiative is the first of its kind to mobilize Latinos during Hispanic Heritage Month and brings together partners across all industries to put the needs of the Latino community above individual politics.

Hispanic Heritage Month of Action relies heavily on digital and social media assets, along with ground components in key states, including outreach to young Latinos who have reached voting age. The initiative is led online by Voto Latino, on the ground by Mi Familia Vota in key Latino states, and nationally with partners, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, ImpreMedia, Entravision, Liberman Broadcasting, Cosmo Latina, Being Latino, Alliance for Citizenship, Latino Victory Project and others.* Voto Latino Chairwoman Rosario Dawson, Voto Latino Artist Coalition co-Chairs America Ferrera and Wilmer Valderrama, and Latino Victory Project co-founder Eva Longoria are also lending their voices to the campaign, which runs through October 15, the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month.

“We are calling American Latinos to rise above our political differences and to unite as a community this November,” said Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO, Voto Latino. “Today and for the next month, we will show that Latinos stand tall because we have pride in our culture, and we recognize the power of our vote.”

Ben Monterroso, Executive Director, Mi Familia Vota, said the Latino community will not remain silent after the political stalemate in Washington over immigration reform, because, “Latinos understand that the only real way to impact our future is with a strong showing of our voting power. We began the immigration debate with our record turnout in the 2012 election, and we will continue fighting for our community and for immigration reform by voting.”

“Pride in our Latino culture includes pride in our Nation. As Americans, we are proud to exercise our right to vote and elect officials who reflect the values of our communities. We stand with our partners to mobilize our communities, register our family and friends, and ensure a path to reach the polls on Election Day,” said Cristobal Alex, President of the Latino Victory Project. “Exercising our right to vote builds power in the Latino community so that the faces and voices of Latinos are reflected at every level of government and in the policies that drive our country forward.”

More than 7.8 million Latinos are expected to vote this November, up from 6.6 million Latinos who voted in the last midterm election in 2010, according to projections by National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). The record Latino voter turnout in 2012 propelled immigration to the top of the policy agenda. Latino voters must be heard again to create the political climate to find solutions for immigration, the economy, and other issues important to the Latino community.

For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month of Action, visit www.latinos2014.com or find the voter registration toolkit HERE.

* List of Partner Organizations:

Voto Latino, Mi Familia Vota, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Alliance for Citizenship, America’s Voice, Being Latino, Brown Beauty Productions, Casa de Esperanza, Center for Community Change, Colorado Immigration Voter Accountability Project, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Cosmo Latina, D&P Creative Strategies, Entravision, Familia Es Familia, Fox News Latino, Friends of the American Latino Museum, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, Hispanic Federation, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Hispanic National Bar Association, Hispanic Technology and Communications Partnership, Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, ImpreMedia, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Latino List, Latino Victory Project, League of United Latin American Citizens, Liberman Broadcasting, Media Matters, Nacional Records, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, National Council of La Raza, National Hispana Leadership Institute, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, New America Alliance, Poder PAC, SEIU, SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc., The Adelante Movement, The Latino Coalition, U.S.-Mexico Foundation, Diego Bernal, Rosario Dawson, Fernando Espuelas, America Ferrera, Eva Longoria, Wilmer Valderrama.